Criminal Negligence.

Today in an appearnce at the National Press Club, Dick Cheney was asked about the criticism leveled at him by Richard Clarke in an op ed published in the Washington Post yesterday. In typical Dick Cheney fashion he avoided answering the actual charges that Mr. Clarke laid out against him, and instead decided to try to lay blame for 9-11 at the feet of Mr. Clarke. Anybody paying attention wouldn't be suprised by Dick Cheney's dickish behavior, hey that's who he is. But unfortunately for him the record is clear, if there was anybody who failed America leading up to 9-11 it was he and his idiot partner in crime President Bush.

From ThinkProgress:

In fact, it was Cheney who “missed” the warning signs, not Clarke. New York Times reporter Philip Shenon’s book, “The Commission: The Uncensored History of the 9/11 Investigation,” reprinted some of Clarke’s emphatic e-mails warning the Bush administration of the al Qaeda threat throughout 2001:

“Bin Ladin Public Profile May Presage Attack” (May 3)

“Terrorist Groups Said Co-operating on US Hostage Plot” (May 23)

“Bin Ladin’s Networks’ Plans Advancing” (May 26)

“Bin Ladin Attacks May Be Imminent” (June 23)

“Bin Ladin and Associates Making Near-Term Threats” (June 25)

“Bin Ladin Planning High-Profile Attacks” (June 30)

“Planning for Bin Ladin Attacks Continues, Despite Delays” (July 2)

Similarly, Time Magazine reported in 2002 that Clarke had an extensive plan to “roll back” al Qaeda — a plan that languished for months, ignored by senior Bush officials:

Clarke, using a Powerpoint presentation, outlined his thinking to Rice. … In fact, the heading on Slide 14 of the Powerpoint presentation reads, “Response to al Qaeda: Roll back.” … The proposals Clarke developed in the winter of 2000-01 were not given another hearing by top decision makers until late April, and then spent another four months making their laborious way through the bureaucracy before they were readied for approval by President Bush.

And that is why we should never EVER let assholes like Dick Cheney get away with acting as if 9-11 didn't happen on their watch or that they had no clue it was coming. The information was in front of them, Richard Clarke was practically begging them to act, but they did nothing and look where that got us. Everytime he invokes the memory of 9-11 there should be someone around to remind him that he and the rest of Bush Administration failed the American people.